Tiny Hero Memorial
Once a Tiny Hero, ALWAYS a Tiny Hero! These little ones will never be forgotten. If you would like your child to be added to this wall, please fill out this form: Memorial Request.
Milo Bradner Kunkel
7/10-7/27/2020
We had 18 amazing days with Milo Bradner Kunkel at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago! Milo had bilateral clubfoot in addition to severe CDH.
What inspired the name you chose?
Milo’s paternal grandmother’s maiden name, Bradner, is his middle name. She passed away from breast cancer and was a fighter herself.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We celebrate each year with friends and family. We hang out in a park and just be together as we celebrate Milo’s life.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
The night before he passed, Milo opened his eyes for the first time as if he was telling us, “see you later.” He knew we needed that closure. It was almost like he was telling us it would be okay.
Adalynn Grace Floyd
We enjoyed every single day of her two weeks of life at Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital (MUSC).
What inspired the name you chose?
I just saw it and fell in love with it. Her middle name Grace fit her perfectly once she was born.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We are doing a memorial. We just lost her on May 24, 2022. Our only memories are of her lying in her hospital bed, but they are so dear to our hearts.
5/8-5/24/2022
Noah Kai Russell
9/10/2020-2/19/2021
We were so grateful to have 17 months with Noah at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas.
What inspired the name you chose?
My mom liked Noah, and my husband chose Kai from Cobra Kai.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We do runs in his name, celebrate at the cemetery, and cycle rides in honor of Noah.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
Noah was always smiling and a happy baby no matter how he was feeling. He was very lovable, he loved to snuggle, and everyone he met learned to love him and his personality. Noah also did not like to be on camera and was shy around others when told to smile, he only did it with mom and dad.
2/28/2022
Luca James Matheny
We may have only had one hour with our Tiny Hero, but it is an hour we will never forget. We are grateful for everything the Cleveland Clinic and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital did to help us during this difficult time.
What inspired the name you chose?
Luca means bringing light, and James is a family name.
Aspen Lee
3/31-4/24/22
I am so grateful for the 41 special weeks I had with him. He was in my womb for 38 weeks and was outside fighting for 3 weeks at Arkansas Children's Hospital.
What inspired the name you chose?
I chose Aspen because I have always liked unique names and names that make you think of God and his creation. My older girls’ names are Rayne and Heaven, so when picking out his name, this one just stood out to me. I Recently found out Aspen means shield in Greek, which confirms why this name stood out to me. I chose Lee for his middle name because I wanted him to have my middle name.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
To celebrate his memory, I talk about how strong he was and how hard he fought. I post pictures and videos and just tell people what an impact he made in my life and others in the short time he was here on earth.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
Sitting with him daily, talking to him and praying over him are my most fond memories. Seeing his beautiful blue eyes open and look at me with an angelic look made all the struggles worth it. My favorite memory is when he would squeeze my finger, which he did often. I am so thankful for these memories and will cherish them forever!
7/23/2022
Thomas Steel Booth
We will always cherish the 40 weeks in my womb and the 13 hours we spent with him at Banner University.
What inspired the name you chose?
Thomas was chosen in memory of our good friend that passed from covid last year and Steel in honor of our family business in metal fabrication.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
He just passed on July 23, 2022, so it hasn’t been long, but we make sure to talk about him and share him often. We give back as much as we can to the organizations that made a difference in our lives and have big plans to honor him in the future.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
Thomas passed at birth, but we are so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend 13 hours with him, making memories. We loved that he looked like his big brother Sully, had his dad’s toes and was so tiny and perfect at 5 pounds 2 ounces. I’m so thankful he was surrounded by love and family while he was with us, and he never knew anything but peace and comfort.
Olivia Elizabeth Stauffer
2/27/22
Olivia was born at 29 weeks and lived for one hour and one minute. But we are so lucky to have had the opportunity to love on her for 2 days longer until we were discharged from the University of Kansas Hospital.
What inspired the name you chose?
My husband and I both liked it, and it was an option, but he kept calling her that while I was pregnant. When she was born, we just knew it was her name. Her middle name, Elizabeth, is her older sister’s name, whom we, unfortunately, lost a year and 5 days before her.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We had a celebration of life with family and friends after she passed. And every month, on the 27th (the day she was born), we light a candle for 1 hour and 1 minute in honor of how long she lived.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
She was so strong and such a fighter. I remember just like it was yesterday how strong her kicks were. And at EVERY ultrasound, they would always tell us how active she was and that she NEVER sat still.
3/10-9/24/2018
Steven Hilario Lagunas, Jr.
We spent 6 amazing, beautiful months with Steven at Banner Cardon Children's Hospital. They were the best months of my life!
What inspired the name you chose?
My husband and my father-in-law share the name.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
Every year, we go to the cemetery and celebrate his life. We also donate toys every year to the hospital where he was treated in his memory.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
The first time I held him, he was taken off of ECMO we were told he wasn’t going to make it, but he did! We waited a couple of days, and I got to hold him on my birthday!
Elias Drew Kolb
4/16-5/8/2020
Our family enjoyed 3 amazing weeks with Elias Drew at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.
What inspired the name you chose?
We just loved the name Elias and included Drew, who means strong and brave!
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We light a candle on his birthday and share about his journey often.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
He was always very active throughout my pregnancy and especially during ultrasounds and NSTs! He always gave the nurses a good laugh during my NSTs because he would literally move non-stop the whole time, and they constantly had to move the monitors around on my belly to track him. I loved feeling his kicks and movement all the time!
6/24-6/26/2021
Adalynn Neil
We will always cherish the two days we had with Adalynn at Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center in Denver.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We do a memorial walk and a special date night for momma and dadda in her memory.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
She was super active during my pregnancy. Always rolling around and punching or kicking. I had severe polyhydramnios, so I couldn't always feel her, but she was active. Once she was born, she was sedated the whole time and on the oscillator, but she responded to my voice and would move her arm, or her lips would quiver like she was trying to talk to us.
John Henry Ihus
9/19/2019-3/11/2020
We will always remember the 5 1/2 months we had with John Henry at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.
What inspired the name you chose?
We combined my grandfather's name and my husband's father's name.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We have created tons of scrapbook pages documenting every day of his life. We have also gotten tattoos in his memory and done several fundraisers.
4/11-5/2/2021
Theo-James McNulty
We had the opportunity to love on Theo-James for 3 weeks in the NICU at Mary’s Hospital Manchester.
What inspired the name you chose?
We are not sure. We just knew it was the one.💙
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
I’m creating a small business in memory of my son to raise awareness about CDH.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
We were told that Theo wouldn’t be able to open his eyes or move at all for a few weeks. He was so poorly that they had him on a really high sedative. That didn’t stop him! He proved them wrong: he would often open his eyes, wiggle his toes, and squeeze our hands! Even when they boosted his sedation more, he still just kept trying to look at us!!
Grayson Micah Loe
1/20-6/28/2021
We are beyond grateful for every second of the five months, one week and one day we had with Grayson at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. He was a Kays kid, and we loved everyone working on the CDH floor.
What inspired the name you chose?
I had always loved that name. After I told my husband about the name, he also fell in love with it so we went with it.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We talk and reminisce about him daily and try to bring awareness about his defects (RCDH, a giant omphalocele, and scoliosis).
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
He was so happy with all the things he had. He loved to smile while he was awake and while he was asleep; it was the most precious thing in the world to us.
7/12/2021
Callan James Redding
Callan passed away three hours after birth, but we did get a cuddle cot, so he was in our room with us for about 24 hours after that at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.
What inspired the name you chose?
Callan means “battle.” We knew that was perfect for the battle he was about to fight.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
He was born July 12, 2021, so we are still “new” to this. I try to include him in our daily lives any way I can (stocking at Christmas, etc.) I want to give coffee and breakfast to the NICU and labor and delivery nurses on his birthday. My husband is a big golfer, so we plan to start a memorial golf tournament.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
He had the MOST hair and the cutest little toes!
Daegan Stumpff
5/25-5/28/2022
We only had a short 2.5 days with him at Presbyterian St. Luke's in Denver, Colorado, but every minute was so special to us.
What inspired the name you chose?
I just thought of it.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
It's extremely recent, and we never got to bring our baby home, so we decided to leave our nursery set up in the meantime.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
My favorite memories were the few times he grabbed my finger while he was in his incubator.
10/14-10/16/2021
Marvel Romilly Santos
She lived for 40 hours, but I held her in my arms for 8 hours more at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
What inspired the name you chose?
We chose the name Marvel because Marvel comes from Spanish roots meaning wonderful or extraordinary, and she is/was both. Her middle name Romilly is French, meaning God’s beloved one. We are also big fans of Marvel superheroes, and she’s our Tiny Hero!
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We keep a candle lit for her at all times (safely). We keep pictures of her throughout our house. We include her in everything we do, even if that means bringing her picture along. We talk about her often and how amazing she is/was!
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
The first time I held her was the most beautiful memory I have. I wish I had more time, but I cherish every single moment she was here on earth with me.
Ada Rose Roberts
02/05/2022
We enjoyed every minute of the almost 31 weeks she was in my tummy.
What inspired the name you chose?
We thought it was unique and beautiful, just like her.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We have a special memorial garden for her. And we talk about our daughter daily.
10/12-11/22/2021
Oliver "Ollie" Cromwell
We were blessed with 5 weeks 6 days at John Hopkins All Children's Hospital after being diagnosed with a severe bilateral CDH. The fact that the lived that long with being such a severe bilateral case is a miracle!
What inspired the name you chose?
We knew Ollie had a hard battle ahead of him and his big brother said, "let's name him Oliver. It sounds like a super hero name." It fit him perfectly!
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We will let balloons go on his birthday and will light a candle on his day of death every year.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
Ollie hated to lie on his side. When the nurses would put him on his side he would throw a fit until they would put him on his belly. He liked to make sure the nurses knew who was the boss! He really liked to have his hand held while I read Harry Potter to him.
Edison Michael Stanley Yarlett
9/26/2022
We enjoyed sixteen hours with Edison at Queens Medical Center in Nottingham, UK.
What inspired the name you chose?
We let our ten-year-old son help us choose Edison’s name. He absolutely loves scientists and inventors; his two favorites are Edison and Newton. When you hear a name, sometimes you just know it’s right, and we just knew Edison was right. It feels even more fitting now, as the inventor of the lightbulb, Thomas Edison, brought light to the world just like our baby Edison has brought light into our lives.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We lost Edison fairly recently, so we have not been able to do anything yet. However, moving forward, we want to help other families who have lost babies and children.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
Edison was so squishy when he was born, even at 27 weeks. He was full of character and loved to play kick off the monitor in the hospital when they did scans. He became known on the ward as the best at hide and seek.
2/11/2021
Crosby Reynolds
We enjoyed about 30 minutes with Crosby before he passed and we spent several hours with him after at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, Illinois.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We hung a memorial star for him.
Croì Lux Cleary
11/10-11/11/2022
We were so grateful for the 38 magical weeks in my womb and 1 amazing day on Earth at the Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital in Ireland. We would like to thank Dr. Reagan for everything she had done for our Croì from the start.
What inspired the name you chose?
Croì was our rainbow baby after the miscarriage of our baby Lux, who we lost one year prior to finding out we wore pregnant again. His name means heart, and Lux’s name means light. He lit our hearts again after our loss💙
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
He was my most active baby at every scan. The doctors would laugh at how much he kicked and tumbled, he never cooperated with them. The one day we had with him when he was born was magic. It truly was a day of love. We got to hear him cry when we never thought he would. I got to hold him on my chest before he was whisked away to the ICU, and we got to see him open his beautiful eyes before he passed. We will cherish these moments forever💙
12/20/21
Matthew Eugene Holloway
Matthew was born at Vanderbilt, and the team tried their hardest to stabilize him. We are so grateful for them! He lived 30-40 minutes, so not long but the 9 months he spent on the inside is the time we say we got to experience him most. I will cherish that time forever!
What inspired the name you chose?
Matthew means gift of God. He surely was a gift for God.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We share and speak of the memories we had. On his birthday, we will sing happy birthday and release balloons.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
Matthew was only earth-side for a short time, so most of our memories are in the womb. He would love when mommy ate his favorite foods and just kicked for hours. We love to believe he would have loved food.
9/9-9/10/22
Emilian Dusa
We are so grateful for the two days we spent with him at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.
What inspired the name you chose?
His maternal grandfather’s name.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
I think of him every day, all the time. He is with me in spirit always.
Evelynn Michelle
3/1/2020
Our sweet Evelynn Michelle had Trisomy 9 mosaicism, CDH and IUGR. She fought hard for about 21 minutes. Then we spent the next day and night holding and loving her. We took as many photos as we could, remembering everything about her. We were so lucky to be at a hospital (UNC-Chapel Hill) with a cuddle cot, so we had the chance to keep her with us. We love you forever and always, Evelynn Michelle. We promise always to speak your name and never let anyone forget you!
What inspired the name you chose?
We loved her first name and could only agree on it. Her middle name is after my aunt, who passed away from breast cancer.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
We talk about her often to her older brother and younger sister and visit the cemetery as often as we can. We celebrate her birthday with a small party for friends and family every year.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
We got to hold her as she passed and got to keep her with us until we left the hospital.
Maddox Camden
10/11/2022
What inspired the name you chose?
We wanted a unique name and came across Maddox in the last month of pregnancy and loved it. As for his middle name, I grew up in Camden, Maine and it has a special place in my heart.
What does your family do to celebrate your baby's memory?
In honor of baby Maddox, I am pumping and donating his milk to NICU babies. We are also participating in a 5k for fetal medicine research in March and the virtual CDH run in April. At Christmas, we bought a present to hopefully give to Maddox's future sibling from him. We plan on celebrating his birthday every year in some way as well. Maddox is a big part of our family, and he will always be so loved and remembered.
Do you have any memories of your Tiny Hero you would like to share?
I had Maddox at a birthing center. I had an ultrasound literally the day before he was born because I was overdue, but unfortunately, CDH was missed the entire pregnancy. I will never forget when he was born, and I held him in my arms, and he looked up at me with his big brown eyes. Unfortunately, he went into cardiac arrest right after and never woke up. But I will always have that memory of seeing his eyes.